Recognition Professionals International Announces Winners of RPI Best Practice Awards

 

Companies like Delta and TELUS demonstrate value of employee recognition, says RPI

By Alex Palmer

Recognition Professionals International (RPI) has announced the 2009 Winners for the RPI Best Practice Awards. The five winners—Scotiabank, Ohio State University Medical Center, TELUS Communications, Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare and Delta Air Lines, which won for Best Overall Recognition Program—were selected based on their exemplary performance in areas such as recognition events, program flexibility and communication plan.

"All of the [winning] companies had a passion for doing it right; they were locked-in to the fact that recognition could be a tool to improve employee engagement," says Tom Miller, president of the RPI Board. "Employee appreciation is a key dynamic for every organization to optimize employee performance, increase worker satisfaction and motivate teams."

RPI, a non-profit association of business executives that studies and promotes employee recognition as a way to strengthen company performance, has been bestowing its Best Practice Awards since 2002. The companies submitted applications for their programs and were judged by a panel of certified recognition professionals chosen by RPI, based on each of the association's seven Best Practice Standards.

These standards are: Recognition Strategy, Management Responsibility, Recognition Program Measurement, Communication Plan, Recognition Training, Recognition Events and Celebrations and Program Change and Flexibility.

"Any company that is serious about their recognition and reward practices is going to be thinking through those seven standards," says Miller.

Best Overall Winner Delta Air Lines was honored for its suite of reward and recognition programs, which include a points-based platform ('MyDeltaRewards") for an enterprise-wide nomination based recognition program ("Gaining Altitude"), a length-of-service/retirement program, and an annual pinnacle program ("Chairman's Club") in which 100 employees are selected for demonstrating the Delta Air Lines' values of dedication and determination.

"You give someone some recognition for their behavior or action and that motivates them to think about things in a different way," says Stephanie Merchiore, manager of employee recognition for Delta Air Lines who oversees the company’s recognition programs. "It changes their behavior and can positively impact their future interactions with our customers or other employees."

The 2009 Recognition Professionals International Best Practice winners and categories are:

Delta Air Lines—Best Overall Recognition Program

Ohio State University Medical Center – Best in Class:
Standard 1—Recognition Strategy

Scotiabank—Best in Class:
Standard 2—Management and Responsibility
Standard 4—Communication Plan
Standard 5—Recognition Training
Standard 6—Recognition Events and Celebrations

Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare—Best in Class:
Standard 3—Recognition Program Measurement

TELUS Communications—Best in Class:
Standard 7—Program Change and Flexibility

For more information, visit www.recognition.org.